Coupling for steel towers or derricks.



L. G. MOORE. GOUPLING FOR- STEEL TOWERS 0R DERRIOKS..

APPLICATION FILED SEPT.17, 1912.

Paten'tad 1390.23, 1913.

rection of the arrow A, Fig. 2.

STATES PA ENll orrios.

COUPLING FOR STEEL TOWERS-OR DERRICKS.

Specification of Letters Patent. Application filed September 17, 1912.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEE C. Moore, a resident of Pittsburgh, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Couplings for Steel Towers or Derricks, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a coupling or clamp for metal towers or derricks, and particularly such as are used for oil wells.

The object of the invention is to provide an improved clamp for uniting the ends of the leg sections, and fasten girts and braces thereto, which clamp is of simple construction, can be cheaply manufactured and which, when secured to the tower or derrick, leaves no exposed projections on the outside thereof.

The invention comprises the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings Figure l is a longitudinal section taken on the line 1-1, Fig. 2, through one of the improved clamps, and showing the ends of the braces and girts secured thereto; Fig. 2 is c; horizontal section on the line 2 2, Fig. 1; Fig, 3 is a plan View of the punched blank from which the clamp is formed; and Fig. 4 is enelevaticn of the clamp viewed in the dior derrick may be of any of the usual constructions, but preferably of the for'm shown and described in the patent to Thomas A. Neill, No, 983,386, granted September 7, 1909, and which is constructed of metal tubes throughout. With the specific clamp illustrated, the derrick is intended to be provided with'four legs in clined so that the derrick tapers fromits top, the legs being composed of tubular sections, as stated.

In the drawings, one of the leg sections is indicated at 1 and the other leg section at 2. 1 exactly square so The tower These are cut 011 as to abut each other endwise' around the entire circumference of the tubes. The clamp or socket is indicated at 3 and comprises a substantially tubular member or sleeve, slotted or open longitudinally along one side, as at 4, and having a smooth interior surface to embrace and fit the cylindricel surfaces of the ends of the meeting leg sections. The clamp may either be secured to the meetingjends of the adjacent end sections to secure the same together as th erefrom.

the liability of danger,

Serial No. 720,882.

the drawings or may he slipped over a leg section and located in termediutc the ends thereof to be used as an intermediate clamp for connecting girts and braces to a leg section intermediate its ends.

The clamp is provided along both edges of the opening 4 with two sets of oppositely disposed lugs or cars marked respectively 5 and (3, the clamp being slotted or cut trans versely to its length, as at 7, to form the same. The opposite ears or lugs 5, of which, in the formshown, there are two along each edge of the opening 4, are bent into substantiul parallelism with each other, and spaced a short distance apart, and are pro vided with apertures 8 for the reception of ordinary clamping bolts 9, threaded at their ends end provided with nutsjlQ-do cnzibic the clamp to be drawn tightly met-1151 the leg sections to securely clamp the same thereto. By bending the lugs 5 into parallelism, a square and firm bearing of the bolt head and not on the surfaces thereof isobteincd end :1. strong clamping effect issssored. The lugs or ears 6 are bent, out- \varclly from the well of the sleeve on either side of the edges of the opening 4 and preferubly 2L short distance circumferentiai ly In-the form shown, these lugs or cars extend radially of the clamp em are substantially at an angle of 90 with respect to each other, thus adapting the clamp for. use with a derrick having four legs. Obviously, however, the angularrelotion between the lugs or ears 6 maybe varied in accordance with circumstances, and in thecase of a. derrick having three legs will be substantially In the 'lo'rin shown in the drawings three 6 areformed along each edge illustra ted in of the openset are each provided with an aperture 11 to enable a diagonal brace 12 to be secured thereto by an ordinary clamping bolt 13, thenutl l thereof being preferably placed on the inside of the clamp and the smooth, round head 15 thereof on the outside. thus decreasing the number of sharp projections on the outside of the clamp and lessening or injury to workmen. elimbing around the derrick, which might result from the clothing catching in such projections. Theintermediate lug or car 6 is provided with a pair of apertures 16 for the securemeut of a horizontalgirt.

PatentedDec.23,1913.

lugs or cars These apertures may be unsyinmetrically located with reference to the axis of the clamp to enable the two cpmpanion apertures in the girt 17 to be locatedsquarely opposite, each other and thus simplify construction thereof. This, however, is not essential, since by making the apertures slightly larger than the diameter of the bolts the, can be placed exactly in line with each other. 6"

Preferably, the openings 11 and 16 are formed non-circular, indicated at 18, and the shanks of the bolts passing therethrough are provided with noncircular portions to prevent the bolts from turning in the shanks, thereby permitting the nuts to be tightened up on the bolts by the use of a single wrench manipulated with one hand.

The clamp or socket described is preferably formed of plate metal, although it may be formed by forging or partly by rolling, and then pressing or bending. In the manufacturethereoflthe metal is rolled or. formed as a flat sheet and is cut into blanks of the shape illustrated in Fig. 3. If desired, it may be rolled of the cross section shown in Fig. 1 to provide a plurality of ribs 20,.running transversely of the length of the finished socket and which stiiien and strengthen the same and enable it to be formed oflighter metal. Along its edges the cut blank is then slotted at 7 between the ribs 20 in the manner described to form the ears or lugs 5 and 6. Either beforeor after this slotting operation, or simultaneously therewith, the apertures 8, 11 and 16 may be punched in the blank for the securement of girts and braces thereto. After being slotted and punched, the blank is then bent into the form shown in Figs. 1 and 2, the body of the blank being formed substantially cylindrical to'provide the sleeve, and the ears or lugs 5 and6 being bent outwardly from the opening therein in the manner stated.

It will be observed that since the slots 7 between the lugs or cars 5 and 6 fall between pairs of ribs 20, a pair of said ribs are, there fore, provided upon each of the lugs or cars and thereby strengthen the same along their edges for their full length.

The clamp or socket described may be used either to secure the abutting end sections of the leg sections together or may be placed intermediate the ends of a leg section.

The clamp is preferably made of slightly resilient metal and of slightly larger internal diameter than the cross section of the leg section in order thatit may be easily slipped thereon. After having been placed on the leg section, the clampin bolts 9 are passed through apertures 8 an the nuts 10 placed thereon and tightened to secure the clamp to the leg section. The girts and braces are then attached to the lugs or cars 6 in the manner described. During-the procears extending outw;

substantial parallelism and spaced apart and ess of erection. it only necessary to use a single wrench for securing the clamp to the derrick and the girts braces thereto. This Wrench can be manipulated with a 'single hand and thus leave the other hand available to protect wornin'an from fall; ing. The outside of the clamp is free of rough or sharp "projections which might catch the clothing of the workman climbing around the derrick in the erection. of the same. It will also be observ d that the lugs or ears 6 are formed of ich size that no corners or portions or the flattened ends of the girts and braces 1" and 17' project be yond the same. This not only improves the appearance of-the erected derrick but also lessens the liability of injury to workmen. The distance from center center of the end lugs 6 is also increased beyond that in prior clamps and the entire derrick is thereby s5 strengthened, but especially so at the joints thereof.

lVhat I claim is 1. A clamp for towers, derricks and like comprising a cylindrical sleeve along one side and provided .cng' the edges of said opening with two of lugs or said s seve- Lll/ and arranged for the a and braces thereto, two rows being an i and a second set of e edges of said opening ears or lugs of the'i'ir" apertures for the bolts.

2. A clamp for towe like comprising a. cell along one side and ded along the of said opening with two sets ach compris ing a plurality of pairs of oppositeiy dis-- posed ears or lugs, the ears or in s of the two sets alternating longitudinally of the sleeve, one set having oppositely disposed apertures for the reception of clamping bolts,- and the other set being arranged for the secureznent of girts and braces thereto. i

3. A clamp for towers. derricks and the like comprising a c lindrical sleeve open along one side and provided along the edge. of said opening with two of ears or lugs. one set eonmrising a. plurality of pairs or".

T -icks anti ricai. sleeve open oppositely disposed ears or lugsbentintp substantial parallelism and. provided with alined apertures for the reception oi" oi ing bolts, and the other set coe'ipris, rows of ears or lu'gs extending outwardly from said sleeve and arranged for the tachment of girts and braces thereto.

4. A clamp for tdi'fers, de clc and the like comprising a cylindrical sleeve open along one side and provided along the edges of said opening with two sets of oppositely disposed ears or lugs, one set being bent into along one prorit or; with apertures for the reception of el ni bolts :1 .l the other set; extendln a v H g; to mid sleeve, the opposlte lugs or hereof" l ring'zzt an angle to each other and winged for the attachment of girls a braces -h.ere{o.

it clamp for tone-r 4 den-ticks and the like comprising a cylindrical sleeve open lo and slotted along the edges of szud opening trimmer to the length of mid sleeve 1 1m izle two sets of ears or lugs. omymitely disposed ears or lugs of one set 3 ing :zrrnn to receive clamping helts, end the other set oi said ears or lugs being latent ontviiu tlly from said sleeve and spaced singularly tlaereeround, and arranged for the attachment of girls and braces thereto.

o. A clump for towers, derricks and the like, cornyrising\ zi e miicli'ieziil sleeve open l l I l l 1 l along one side and slotted along the edges of said opening transversely to the length of mid sleeve to provide two sets of ears or hugs, the oppositely disposed ears or lugs of one set being pr vided with apertures to receive clamping bolts, and the other set of said ears or lugs being bent outwardly from said sleeve and spaced ungnlarly theroaround and arranged for the attachment of girts and braces thereto, said sleeve and said ears or lugs being provided with transverse reinforcing ribs extending continuously from edge to edge of the sleeve and. thereby strengthening both the sleeve and lugs.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

LEE 0. MOORE. Witnesses ELBERT L. HYDE, WILLIAM B. WHARTON. 

